This is what I know: when you are aligned with your purpose, life is just sweeter.
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
That’s what one of my favorite authors, Paolo Coelho, says in “The Alchemist”, and now that I’m on my way, I finally get what he meant.
When I was younger, I thought that life happened to me. Things went wrong, I had a difficult childhood. I dropped out of high school and left home before my Senior year. I used to think that was really tragic, but now I see it as boldly courageous. To get myself out of a bad living situation and move to a new family in a new town and go to a new school was really kicka** of me!!! I don’t think I realized that until recently, and that is why I am now a believer.
There’s been a huge change in me. At first a subtle shift, but now a pronounced transformation. I had just turned 50 when I began to meditate seven years ago, and what it has done for me and my life is mind boggling. I took a meditation class because I had read so much about how it could help reduce anxiety. Slowly and ever so slightly, my life began to change. Every day, I started to notice how much more at ease I was feeling. I was becoming aware of my inner small voice, my guidance, my intuition. I wanted to change things up my life, but I just didn’t know how. I was in a job that was NOT inspiring and was just feeling down.
Then, I got a call that changed my life. My friend, Tammi called and said, “I am building this thing called Campowement. Come be a part of this!”
Four years ago, I came to help out at Campowerment as a Campower Ranger. I loved being behind the scenes, and helping this machine run. A few camps in, Tammi says she saw something in me I didn’t even see in myself, and asked if I would lead a circle. I realized after leading Circles at a number of camps how much I loved it!
As I sat daily in my meditation, more and more, I began connecting to my intuition. Not the voice in my head, but that small one inside my gut that comes from somewhere unexplainable! It kept whispering to me that teaching meditation is what I should be doing. After a while, it turned from a whisper to a scream (that’s often what happens when you meditate, your small voice gets WAY louder as your mind’s chatter quiets down).
“QUIT YOUR JOB!” I heard this for about two years, but I was scared to death to leap without a net. Scared of not having an income I counted on, scared of going back to school after 30 years. Scared I wouldn’t be good enough.
From the strength of my personal daily practice, sitting in silence, living from a place of gratitude, learning to have compassion for myself thru the practice of Loving Kindness meditation, I began to trust my intuition. I listened to that small voice screaming at me.
The truth: I became inspired to take action, inspired by my time leading circles, knowing and believing, being confident in my ability to teach. Inspired by the Experts and friends I was listening to and being guided by.
At Campowerment, there is so much to be inspired by: when you’re surrounded by the beauty around you, whether high atop the ocean perched on a mountain in Malibu, or smelling the deep, rich scent of pines while looking at the ripples in the water on the lake in the Poconos, stuff happens when you are present to the amazing moment that is your life.
Ultimately, my Campowerment experiences motivated me to take my real leap of faith and quit my job to achieve my certification to teach meditation and mindfulness.
Now I am living in my FABULOSITY, and I know that life is happening FOR me. Not TO me.
Is your life happening to you or for you? Sit quietly, slow down, and ask yourself that question. Every day. ‘Til the answer comes. It will…so long as you’re quiet long enough to hear it.
